LeaderStories - Covid-19 Serieshttps://leaderstories.org/blog-categories/covid-19-series
Reflections and solutions from “for purpose” leaders around the globe, as we navigate the pandemic and adapt our work.
enInsights for Days of Uncertainty: Series Welcomehttps://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/insights-days-uncertainty-series-welcome
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Insights%20for%20Days%20of%20Uncertainty%20-%20image.png?itok=ojRgV7su"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Insights%20for%20Days%20of%20Uncertainty%20-%20image.png?itok=ojRgV7su" width="300" height="303" alt="community" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Welcome to our community-drive series focusing on how the <em>for-purpose</em> sector is adapting during the Covid-19 pandemic, from leaders around the globe.</p>
<p>Wherever you are in the world, it’s likely you’re dealing with the coronavirus and its impact on our work and communities. Maybe you’re grappling with how to empower your team and communities to act responsibly but with courage in the face of uncertainty? Maybe you’re working on ways to stay creative and resilient, and minimize colleagues’ stress? Do you cancel gatherings, shift to virtual meetings, pause on some projects?</p>
<p>COVID-19 is a wakeup call in many ways. The health impacts aside, many of us are dealing with disruption, uncertainty, bias, and a growing sense of vulnerability across communities. It’s clear that this pandemic will have lasting global implications. It is also evident that no matter how this complex and evolving situation resolves, it will not be the last of its kind. What’s less is clear is what we as leaders in the nonprofit sector can and should do today, tomorrow and beyond.</p>
<p>To that end, it feels more important than ever to activate a network of diverse voices to reflect and share insights and lessons. Individually, our mindset is powerful; we become what we consume. The same can be true of our collective.</p>
<p>This series is designed to spotlight people and solutions, grapple with questions and connect ideas across the globe. The series editors, Monica and Caitlin, will curate content but the ideas will come from leaders in arts, theater, environment, science, youth development, community strengthening, policy change—the many diverse industries in our network.</p>
<p><strong><em>A note from Monica Kang (series co-editor): </em></strong></p>
<p>For me, the American Express Leadership Academy global alumni community is one of the places that inspires me to be bolder. I became an Ashoka Changemakers Fellow in 2016. Since then, I’ve learned and met so many incredible global nonprofit and social impact leaders who show how nothing is impossible when determination, diligence and positivity is put together. I always learn and find strength from the #amexleads network, so I am inspired to reach out to you in moments like this. (More on <a href="https://leaderstories.org/about">the network</a>.)</p>
<p>I’ve been feeling that so much of the media coverage has focused on politics, facts, and fear-mongering and less on humanizing tools for dealing with the impacts on our work.</p>
<p>That’s why Caitlin and I want to work with you to create a content series that identifies ways to creatively problem solve and stay resilient in the face of uncertainty. Our intention is to harness the power of storytelling to connect us and provide a human perspective and practical resources to reflect and learn together. Our content, published on LeaderStories at least once a week, will <em>not</em> focus on health guidance but instead bring global reflections and ideas for supporting people, communities and our work.</p>
<p>We hope that these stories will inspire you and others, and help us realize that there is more than one way to solve problems. We hope you’ll be inspired to participate, we want to hear from you!</p>
<p>Thank you for your positivity, courage, and resilience. We can’t wait to connect.</p>
<p>- Monica H. Kang, Founder of <a href="https://innovatorsbox.com/">InnovatorsBox.</a></p>
<h2><strong>How to Participate</strong></h2>
<p>We are eager for insights from every region, community and focus. If you are interested in writing or recording a video or audio post, we welcome you to send us your idea and we’ll help you make it happen, or you’re your completed post to us. If you prefer, we can set up an interview with you to craft a post.</p>
<p>To start, please <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI5j7XZPBXcDYOeaF7k0oY2o42HIkoFFth5gG02OvLdaIL3A/viewform">take a moment to fill out this form</a>. It asks you for:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your contact information, industry, country, etc,</li>
<li>Brief insight into how the virus has impacted you if it has</li>
<li>Brief insight into what has helped you stay resilient, creative and positive</li>
<li>Any additional questions, patterns you want to share</li>
<li>And If you’d like to do a video interview and when you’d like to do that</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Please note:</em></strong><em> We are not health or medical experts and this series is not intended to provide detailed health or medical guidance. In addition, because this is a rapidly evolving and sensitive topic, we respect your privacy; Please share only what you are comfortable with. Finally, it may be obvious, but we require good social network etiquette here: all insight contributors must keep posts positive in tone, avoid discriminatory or biased language, and focus on solutions and reflections. We reserve the right to edit and adapt as needed. </em></p>
<p><strong><u>Check Out:</u></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qAXC2hYDGCQN6kKnMKvOAiXpEqhEMLq6C690xSZFBYU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Compilation of Resources for Nonprofits</a> (Google Sheet). </strong>Please share, edit, add!</p>
<p><u><strong>Articles in this Series:</strong></u></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/meet-your-finance-committee-now">Meet With Your Finance Committee Now (by Seth Cothrun)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/leadership-lessons-get-through-interview-alison-wagner">Leadership Lessons to Get Through: An Interview with Alison Wagner</a></li>
<li><a href="https://leaderstories.org/leader-insights3">It’s Never too Late to Prioritize and Prepare: An Interview with Wesner Pierre</a></li>
<li><a href="https://leaderstories.org/leader-insights4">Letting Go to Get Things Done: A Conversation with PressureValve Founder Julie Smith</a></li>
</ul>
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<p><strong>Key Intention:</strong></p>
<p>The coronavirus is impacting our work and our communities—the way we interact, the way we convene, the way we deliver our services and build our networks. As a global network of leaders of impact, what if we could aggregate some of the lessons learned, insights, suggestions with one another through a series focused on reflection and learning?</p>
<p>Our series is not designed to offer science or health guidance, but instead to collect insights and share resources about the pandemic’s other impacts: on community, social capital and connections, on our leadership and in our workplaces. This series will be organic, positive and solution-driven.</p>
<p>We believe that how our countries and societies navigate this challenging period matters, and has the potential to bring us closer together and help us better prepare for the future. We will collect and share diverse insights and experiences as an opportunity for all of us to learn, connect and explore new policies, team engagement, culture, and leadership practices emerge.</p>
<p>We also hope that this can be an opportunity to challenge us all to be more courageous, creative and resilient, as we are all called upon to behave differently in this moment and beyond.</p>
<p>All writing will be related to leadership, culture, team, communication. We will state clearly that these posts are not intended to offer health advice or updates on the virus status. </p>
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<p> </p>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-kang-and-caitlin-johnson-eds">Monica Kang and Caitlin Johnson, eds.</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_2">
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</script></span></li></ul>Thu, 19 Mar 2020 21:02:20 +0000ashley1906 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/insights-days-uncertainty-series-welcome#commentsSupporting Rural Communities in India: An Interview with GRAVIS Founder Prakash Tyagihttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights6
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Prakash%20photo.PNG?itok=qHAfwWMx"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Prakash%20photo.PNG?itok=qHAfwWMx" width="300" height="218" alt="Gravis hospital" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Dr. Prakash Tyagi is the Executive Director of GRAVIS and Founder-Director of GRAVIS Hospital. GRAVIS works in the Thar Desert of India, focusing on holistic community development support, including providing access to clean water, education, food security, and health care. The organization reaches over 1.4 million people living in poverty. It has helped local residents form more than 3,500 community-based organizations.</p>
<p>In April, Prakash was awarded the American Express Leadership Academy Alumni Award for his impact on health and community strengthening. The award carries a grant of $25,000 which he intends to put toward training and development for GRAVIS.</p>
<p>We spoke with Prakash to learn more about his work, his impact, and how he and his team are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<div><strong>What drives you and excites you most about your work? </strong></div>
<div>
<p>I have a medical background, so I am interested in public health on a global level. There is often a big disconnect between communities’ needs and perceptions, and the way that health programs are designed. I believe that I play an important role in connecting the dots between community needs and policies, priorities and funding.</p>
</div>
<p>I have been fortunate to have been invited to a number of global health conferences, as well, where I have been able to present the perspectives of my communities, perspectives that are similar to those of many other communities in need around the world.</p>
<blockquote><p style="margin-left:.5in;"><strong>“Our mission is to create self-reliant rural communities that participate in their development with us as we work for them.”</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>At the end of the day, our work transforms lives. We are saving lives every day, and not just in our medical work, as families receive the benefits of our interventions in food and water security that are prerequisites to good health. We work with extremely underprivileged people, yet our communities are never hopeless, never depressed, they are always optimistic and resilient. Even now, during this crisis, we see a lot of resilience and strength. That excites me.</p>
<p>Our mission is to create self-reliant rural communities that participate in their development with us as we work for them.</p>
<p><strong>Before the pandemic, what did a typical day look like for you?</strong></p>
<p>Before this, I was busy with a lot of office work. As I mentioned, I’m a physician by training, but most of my work is administrative, monitoring our progress and impact. I also travel a lot, spending about eight to 10 days a month visiting different villages in different areas, and checking on our hospitals and rural clinics. In normal life, I also spend about one-third of my time traveling to represent GRAVIS in India or abroad, meeting with partners and academic organizations and funders. <img alt="couple standing" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/An%20older%20couple%20receiving%20COVID%20food%20aid.jpg" style="margin: 15px 10px; float: right; width: 325px; height: 150px;" /></p>
<p><strong>And now? Tell us about your “current normal”?</strong></p>
<p>India is a densely populated country with a fragile health system and infrastructure. We rank in the middle when it comes to current COVID-19 infection and death rates. India imposed a very strict lockdown several weeks ago: 1.25 billion people are indoors, transportation is limited in the cities, and all forms of public and private transportation between cities is stopped. That has helped our numbers remain lower than Europe and North America, but our testing rate is also very low, so we don't know the full reality. These numbers may grow.</p>
<p>Our work is in a desert region, and the population is very scattered among remote villages. Even on normal days, it's extremely difficult to reach the nearly 1.4 million people we serve. It has become even more difficult now. As a result, we’re focusing on three important areas:</p>
<p>The first is <strong>medical services</strong>. The hospital and primary clinics we run are working 24/7, catering to patients who are coming in with COVID-19 symptoms and to patients with non-COVID-19 health needs who can’t get to other hospitals. With many outpatient clinics closed, we are providing the full range of medical support, often to nearly 200 patients a day.</p>
<p>The second is <strong>food security</strong>. Large numbers of people are deprived of food, both because of the impact of the lockdown on the supply chain and because they have no wages or income and little to no savings. We are providing family kits that contain dry food supplies for people to cook, and personal hygiene items to clean hands and bodies.</p>
<p>And third, we are doing a lot of work on <strong>COVID-19 education</strong>. It's a new and complex disease and we want to raise awareness and provide up-to-date information. This virus keeps changing and so does the scientific information. We believe it's extremely important that we simplify that. We reach out to people to help them understand what the virus is so they can protect themselves. There are many myths and misconceptions we need to counter. So far, we have reached out to almost 400,000 people – and this is just the beginning. </p>
<p>We are seeing that remote rural populations are very adversely impacted by this disease because they are less likely to have access to medical supports and information. There is even greater vulnerability among people with disabilities, older people and those with weakened immune systems. This is unintentionally causing a lot of stigma and discrimination. We are trying to reach all people with the key facts and messages they need.</p>
<p>In addition to the health consequences, there are livelihoods at stake. In the near future, we will see significant poverty and mental health impacts. Educational opportunities are going to be taken away because children can’t go to schools to learn.</p>
<p><strong>How are you adapting to meet these needs? </strong></p>
<p>From my medical perspective, I can foresee that COVID-19 is going to be with us for some time. With this in mind, we need to move from an emergency response to establishing more long-term plans. We know we will need a more holistic approach, and we are working in deep consultation with the communities to develop it. <img alt="gravis hospital" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/GRAVIS%20hospital%20serving%20during%20COVID19.jpg" style="margin: 15px 10px; float: right; width: 199px; height: 150px;" /></p>
<p>We have always been community-based and have facilitated the formation of 3,500 community-based organizations (CBOs), which have been a core strength in our programs over the years. These organizations are now instrumental in our response to COVID-19. In our usual work, we do a lot to improve productivity, letting people grow what they have in high quantities, develop rainwater harvesting infrastructure, and introduce new agricultural technologies. Doing our work during a time of social distancing is challenging and we will have to see how to adjust as this becomes the new norm.</p>
<p>We are hopeful we will be able to get the resources we need to create a much larger model of the work that we already do, with more COBs, villages, and beneficiaries.</p>
<blockquote><p style="margin-left:.5in;"><strong>“We need a more holistic approach, and we are working in deep consultation with our communities to develop it.”</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>We have always focused on human needs, but we are going to be an organization which believes even more deeply in humanity and human rights. We are learning that within vulnerable groups there are deeper vulnerabilities that are often missed when we look with one lens.</p>
<p><strong>Can you share a moment that has inspired you, amid the crisis?</strong></p>
<p>We work in rural areas where poverty is high, where 60 to 70 percent of the population is poor. There is a small percentage of families who are a little well-to-do. They don’t have fancy cars or electronics but they have a lot of food grains. Many of these families are coming to us and saying, “We don't have a lot but we have enough and we are happy to give some to you so you can give it to others.”</p>
<p>They can’t give directly because of the lockdown, so our team collects food items like wheat and millet and grains and distributes them. </p>
<p>While there’s a lot of hardship and pain happening in this crisis, we also see the positive sides of humanity, which is inspiring.</p>
<p><strong>How are you personally adapting to support your team, some who can work from home, other who are on the frontlines? </strong></p>
<p>In my view, leadership is about leading a good team and letting people deliver their best possible outcomes. Leaders should be able to provide support, and have the trust to delegate responsibilities. Only someone else can evaluate how well I do this or not. In recent weeks, I have tried to be more confident in delegating, and to really trust in people’s abilities, and keep an open mind to accept new ideas and feedback.</p>
<p>We have close to 200 people in our organization, and we are very collaborative. Working from home is new for our organization. There are positives and drawbacks for an organization that believes in direct engagement, face-to-face meetings, and direct interaction between ourselves and communities.</p>
<p>Being away from each other means being especially responsive and time-oriented, to make sure we deliver on our mission. It has also given us a lot of time to pause, think more critically and innovate.</p>
<p>This experience is teaching us to think beyond the projects, timelines and milestones, which are all good but can sometimes be a little mechanical. When we are inclined towards a more professional approach, the idea of humanity can sometimes take a backseat. Personally, this is helping me to become softer and kinder, and someone who appreciates life in a deeper manner.</p>
<p><strong>You were recently awarded the American Express Leadership Academy Alumni Award. What was that like, and what does that mean to your work and planning?</strong></p>
<p>I have been a part of the [American Express Leadership Academy] alumni network for over three years and it’s a group of great people and organizational leaders from many parts of the<img alt="old man" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Old%20man%20waiting%20for%20a%20ride%20to%20hospital.jpg" style="margin: 15px 10px; float: right; width: 199px; height: 150px;" /> world. I’ve received feedback, new knowledge and ongoing inspiration.</p>
<p>The award is a great honor, a significant accomplishment and a morale booster both for our CBOs and our team.</p>
<p>We’ll use the monetary resources for training and capacity building and thinking for the long-term future. The funds will help us strengthen the hospital, improve medical equipment and our facilities—but it will also help us to make new partnerships because it makes our name credible and gives us recognition. It will help us scale this work.</p>
<p>We believe we are unique in the blend of different activities that we do and the holistic approach that we take, doing medical work as well as drought mitigation and climate change adaptation. Our work is very much about our communities in India, but can also [contribute] in some ways to communities in other parts of the world.</p>
<p>If our model is successful and visible and can aid in the sustainability of other communities, then that is a great outcome.</p>
<p><strong>_______</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>About Prakash Tygai</strong></p>
<p><strong>Prakash Tyagi </strong>is the Executive Director of <a href="http://www.gravis.org.in/">GRAVIS</a> and Founder-Director of GRAVIS Hospital. He received a Fulbright-Humphrey Fellowship to study global health at UNC Chapel Hill, a Ford Fellowship to study non-profit management at Columbia University in New York, and has studied public policy through a Fleishman Fellowship at Tarry Sanford School of Duke University. He provides strategy supported to nonprofits working on health and development aspects around the globe and has written extensively on major global health issues and priorities. Dr. Tyagi is an active development practitioner and public health professional and has contributed significantly in the fields of maternal and child health, geriatrics, HIV, TB and occupational health through his writing, research and field work.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/prakash-tyagi-51a98113">Connect with Prakash on LinkedIn.</a></li>
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</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-kang-and-caitlin-johnson-eds">Monica Kang and Caitlin Johnson, eds.</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog-categories/insights-ideas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Insights &amp; Ideas</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_4">
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</span></li></ul>Thu, 21 May 2020 13:00:26 +0000ashley1918 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights6#commentsTen Tips for Working from Home—from Someone Who Usually Works Outsidehttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights5
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/MonicaI-1.jpg?itok=MaVeyUMY"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/MonicaI-1.jpg?itok=MaVeyUMY" width="300" height="200" alt="Monica-I" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>I have been working successfully from various homes and temporary offices for more than five years. Here are ten simple tips that I hope are useful as most of us continue to work from home. I recognize that these tips might not work for everyone, since the types of work we all do are quite varied. Do you have other constructive suggestions or resources? Share them via #LeaderInsights or in the Comment section below!</p>
<p><strong><img alt="monica" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/field/image/monica%20iglecia.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 5px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 270px;" />1. Get Dressed Every Day</strong></p>
<p>Yes, you could wear pajamas all day now. However, it will make you feel better to get dressed. Trust me. It will feel like you accomplished something. Heck, make your bed while you are at it and you have already accomplished two things by the time you sit down at your home office. Go on, get dressed.</p>
<p><strong>2. Keep Commuting, and Take Breaks</strong></p>
<p>Now that you are working from home, you no longer have a commute! Yay! However, a commute can be a good way to mentally distance oneself from home life and prepare for the workday. To mentally prepare for work, I suggest going on a quick morning walk on your own or with your pet, a short bike ride, or any small activity that tells your body you are making the transition from home to work.</p>
<p>When working from home, it can be easy to sit down at your desk and not get up for hours. To keep your sanity, make sure to take breaks like taking a short walk. It is OK to take a break, and it will help you keep your productivity up.</p>
<p><strong>3. Create Boundaries</strong></p>
<p>If you are used to commuting to an office, things are about to change! Decide where you will work inside your home and make it a dedicated work space as much as possible. Yes, this is challenging in a small house, but it is possible.</p>
<p>Really, all boundaries will need your attention. When will you work, when will you stop working? If you are not careful, working from home can turn into working all the time. Yes, many of us do that already, but to maintain your sanity, I highly recommend finding some boundaries that work for you.</p>
<p><strong>4. Schedule Regular Check-ins</strong></p>
<p>Because you won't be passing people in the hallway at the office, be sure to schedule, and keep, regular check-ins with you supervisor and those that you supervise. I suggest weekly meetings with your supervisor and those you supervise, monthly meetings with colleagues that you collaborate with often. If you are on a team working on a specific project, you may need to adjust the schedule to accommodate your project goals and timeline. This may seem like a lot, but remember, you aren’t seeing these people every day anymore so this is your opportunity to connect.</p>
<p>As you go about your week, make a list of all the things you would like to talk about with whomever you will be speaking with during a check-in. That way, you can be sure to share all relevant information when you have the opportunity to speak with that person.</p>
<p><strong>5. Use Your Calendar, Even More</strong></p>
<p>Time passes differently when you are working at home. While you may be tempted to let your email influence your daily priorities, I suggest using your calendar to schedule when you plan to do different tasks to help keep you moving forward. That way, rather than having a nebulous day ahead, you know what you need to get done and when you plan on doing it.</p>
<p> <strong>6. Have an 'Open Phone' Policy</strong></p>
<p>When you are working remotely, you are not able to stand up from your desk and walk down the hall to ask someone a question. By committing to having an 'Open Phone' policy and communicating that to your colleagues, you open up to the potential for your colleagues to reach out, which makes connecting less of a formal task, and increases the flow of ideas.</p>
<p><strong>7. Be Present During Meetings</strong></p>
<p>It is easy for the mind to wander during a meeting. It is even easier for that to happen when you are participating remotely.</p>
<p>Commit to being fully present when you participate in an online meeting. Maybe even take notes so you can be sure you are paying attention. Do not browse the internet, do not answer email, be in the moment!</p>
<p><strong>8. Work at a Table</strong></p>
<p>You may be working from home longer than you expect. Might as well save your back and neck by working in as ergonomic a position as possible. Don't work from the couch or, gasp, your bed.</p>
<p><strong>9. Ask Yourself Questions</strong></p>
<p>Now that you are working from home, there are fewer opportunities for conversations with your colleagues, so be sure to ask yourself questions as you work. What is working? What is not working? What are your top priorities for the day? For the week?</p>
<p><strong>10. Commit to Being Connected</strong></p>
<p>No one knows what you are doing unless you tell them. Make sure to share your progress, your successes, and your challenges. Just because you are working from home does not mean you are in a vacuum.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>This article is part of our #amexleads Insights for Uncertain Times series, featuring reflections and solutions from global leaders adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. <a href="https://leaderstories.org/blog-categories/covid-19-series"><u>Learn more</u></a>.</em></p>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-iglecia-0">Monica Iglecia</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog-categories/insights-ideas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Insights &amp; Ideas</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_6">
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</span></li></ul>Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:22:26 +0000ashley1917 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights5#commentsLetting Go to Get Things Done: A Conversation with PressureValve Founder Julie Smithhttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights4
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/DSC_0618_2.jpg?itok=Jj4cmaVK"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/DSC_0618_2.jpg?itok=Jj4cmaVK" width="300" height="209" alt="Julie Smith standing" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong><em>How can leaders find calm and patience when the stakes are so high?</em></strong></p>
<p>I’ve always admired Julie Smith’s positivity and courage at helping global leaders and professionals with her coaching and facilitation. As the Founder of <a href="https://www.pressurevalvecoaching.com/about">PressureValve Coaching</a>, she helps professionals around the world achieve their career goals, career transitions, and networking skills from London. I knew the pandemic meant that she would be busier as more clients would need her support to manage anxiety, pressure and perspective in how to make better decisions when the stakes are so high.</p>
<p><img alt="Julie in group" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Group.jpg" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 134px;" />While Julie travels and offers in-person coaching and facilitation, she handles a large part of her work via video and phone. As someone who, like Julie, has clients around the world, I was curious about what patterns she is noticing, and what insights she has into how the epidemic is impacting leaders in different countries, especially in how they prioritize, make decisions, and pace themselves in this rapidly changing context. Here’s what she has to say.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What would you share with leaders who are scared about the pandemic?</strong></p>
<p>JS: This is a moment of flux. We don’t know how long it may last but we know it won’t last forever. It’s wonderful to see how resourceful human beings have already been. Remember that you don’t have to have all the solutions yourself. Involve your team, your collaborators. Work together, one step at a time.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Q: Any advice for those who are new to remote working? </strong></p>
<p>Try to keep a normal routine as much as possible. If you listen to podcasts on your commute to work, start your day with a podcast. Set a dedicated place to work. Ideally, a place that brings you joy and feels good so that you feel energized. And have a clear start and end to your day. Have a consistent end ritual so that you unplug, fully. If not, you may let your work creep in. For me, I close my laptop at the end of the day. That means the day has ended and I would focus on unplugging to be fully present the next day.</p>
<p>It’s also important to exercise and build that into your routine. You will no longer have the accidental coffee conversation with friends in the hallway or on your walk to the printer. It’s important to physically stand up from your desk and walk around to stretch, exercise and rest your brain for a bit. Also, incorporate how you socialize with others while you work from home. We are social beings so it's important that we make time to connect with others.</p>
<p><strong>Q: I love that. Especially ending the day with a ritual. This is certainly changing the way we work and collaborate radically. What are things we as “for purpose” leaders can learn from this event?</strong></p>
<p><img alt="Julie listening " src="/sites/default/files/pictures/IMG_7863.jpg" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: left; width: 130px; height: 208px;" />We absolutely need to learn.</p>
<p>First, we’ll learn more about what flexible working means. For a long time I know a lot of organizations never thought they could work remotely. Now everyone is required to and has to find a way very quickly. In the long run, I hope this means the way we hire people will change. They don’t always have to come to the office full time to show value. Mothers who want to work but also need to do childcare who left full-time jobs before may be able to reenter the workforce at the same level, which is exciting. More companies will be able to find diverse talent everywhere because work will be remote accessible.</p>
<p>Second, we’re taking a moment to focus on what really matters. We’ve prided on being busy and consuming more before this incident. Now that we are asked to stop, why not take a moment to breathe and pause. Do we really need to buy this? Do we really need to do this project this way? We may learn to not only simplify the way we do things but also in how we buy things as a consumer and also how we spend our days. We’ll do less of things that are just not bringing joy.</p>
<p>Third, it’s amazing to see what creative solutions people are finding and I hope this will spark more innovation. Nursery is now done online and permitting parents to have sanity and space for child care. I’ve seen Cooking competitions online. Distance learning is making learning flexible. I hope through these new approaches we’ll reflect and think about what we should do more and less.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What gives you hope despite this global crisis?</strong></p>
<p><img alt="Julie talking" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Molly%20Beck%20screencap.png" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 140px;" />Compassion, empathy and kindness. I knew deep down if something were to happen people would come together but it’s amazing to see how people are right now. How they are stepping up to support one another, collaborating with one another and finding ways to support one another. It’s inspiring and something I certainly hope the world sees more and embraces more even after this.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Do you have any other advice to share with leaders as they seek wisdom in how they tackle this uncertainty ahead? </strong></p>
<p>Ask how you can think differently about something instead of saying, “this is the way things are always done.” This is an opportunity for us to do things differently because we have to. Ask what we don’t need anymore and what rules may no longer apply in this new realm. And instead of adding more rules, take things apart and do less. There is no need to keep adding more. In our rush to problem-solve, we may unnecessarily add more things and end up creating a new bottleneck or a distraction.</p>
<p>Pause more. Journal when you feel challenges.</p>
<p>Find people you can call to think through challenges instead of letting them rattle in your head. Similar to the way we are having this conversation as friends.</p>
<p>Be mindful in how we communicate with each other. Word choices matter. Instead of “panic buying,” are you in fact stockpiling and planning for longer term?</p>
<p>Feeling a range of feelings is normal, so make space to process.</p>
<p>For me, the American Express Leadership Academy alumni group is a network I rely on and am grateful to have in times like this. In a way, this pause may permit us to connect with our global friends even more deeply, as we go back to the basics.</p>
<p><em><strong>About Julie Smith</strong></em></p>
<p><img alt="Julie Smith headshot" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Julie%20Smith.jpg" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: left; width: 130px; height: 131px;" />Julie Smith is a qualified executive coach and an experienced leader with 16+ years in management positions within the social purpose sector, including heading national training operations and an interim CEO post.</p>
<p>She now runs her own coaching business, as well as working on a range of projects for non-profits. </p>
<p>Her coaching clients include executives in the corporate and non-profit sectors, women seeking asylum in the U.K., and graduates at the start of their careers. Popular topics are: impostor syndrome, career transitions, managing-up, identifying strengths and confidence.</p>
<p>Julie also delivers coaching workshops on topics including: confidence, personal brand, motivation and team communication.</p>
<p>Previous projects include developing an accredited training program for community money mentors and increasing access to free debt advice for people with severe mental health conditions. </p>
<p>Julie plays an active role in the alumni network by:</p>
<p>• Chairing the Global Alumni Task-Force.<br />
• Speaking at the London academies (2013 - 2019).<br />
• Running the London chapter.<br />
• Coaching fellow alumni.<br />
• Collaborating with alumni on projects.<br />
</p>
<p><em>This article is part of our Insights for Uncertain Times series, featuring reflections and solutions from global leaders adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. <a href="https://leaderstories.org/blog-categories/covid-19-series"><u>Learn more</u></a>.</em></p>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-kang-and-caitlin-johnson-eds">Monica Kang and Caitlin Johnson, eds.</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog-categories/insights-ideas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Insights &amp; Ideas</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_8">
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</span></li></ul>Wed, 08 Apr 2020 18:07:24 +0000ashley1915 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights4#commentsIt’s Never too Late to Prioritize and Prepare: An Interview with Wesner Pierrehttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights3
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Wesner%20blog%20post%20feature%20photo.jpg?itok=n-8GPuax"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Wesner%20blog%20post%20feature%20photo.jpg?itok=n-8GPuax" width="300" height="170" alt="Wesner webcam" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong><em>What can you do if your organization has not prepared for a moment like this?</em></strong></p>
<p>It is a question that Wesner Pierre, the Senior Managing Director of Programs at <a href="https://hcz.org/">Harlem Children's Zone</a>, has reflected on quite a lot in recent days. As a nonprofit executive in New York City, Wesner has more than 10 years of experience advocating for youth development and education to help him lead his teams through this time of uncertainty. Yet most of his work relies on in-person, place-based service delivery. Navigating the current pandemic-related restrictions means that his entire team and operation have had to rethink how they engage and provide essential services to students, families, and the community at large.</p>
<p>Wesner is responding to this challenge by focusing on agility, creativity, resiliency and problem-solving. He is adapting his approach to help his teams develop even more agility and creativity, to better be ready for unexpected moments just like this.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What worries you most about the impact of the virus on your community?</strong></p>
<p><strong>WP: </strong>We’re learning a lot about our bandwidth and capacity. We’re finding many areas where we were not prepared, which is eye-opening and painful. We need a better crisis response approach. We could have taken more proactive steps in January when we first started learning about Covid-19, but we did not envision how it would unfold in the United States, nor in New York City. As a whole, our service-based nonprofit industry was essentially caught flat-footed and without an immediate plan to combat the rapidly changing landscape.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Indeed, things have developed fast. What are things nonprofit leaders can do now, in the face of this crisis? What advice do you have to share?</strong></p>
<p>During times of crisis, particularly when things are changing so fast, it can be natural to react with a mindset of fear instead of love. Fear is something that we have to guard against, as it can cause us to be impulsive and act out of emotions that get colored by the crisis and allow our better judgment to become clouded. It is also important that we don’t fall into a scarcity mindset and become reactive in our thinking.</p>
<p>Take this time as a leader, while being forced to social distance and remain home, to embrace intentionality and come up with thoughtful plans and creative ways to engage and be sure to incorporate all voices and perspectives from your team.</p>
<p>Build a team of creatives who are resilient and positive and who will in turn inspire you to stay positive and resilient as well. There is no crisis rule book for leaders, so each person will respond to situations differently, know who you can turn to, learn from and lean on, as well as those who might need support from you.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Great points. Are you an optimistic person by nature?</strong></p>
<p>A: Funny you ask, I am quite optimistic and always view the glass as half-full as opposed to half-empty. I guess I have built a resilient core and positive nature over time, as a result of the hardships I had growing up. My mom was around but unable to raise my three siblings and me. We didn’t have much, and my grandmother did her best to raise four rambunctious kids. We learned how to see our hardships as facts of life to deal with and overcome.</p>
<p>As a leader, I started seeking out ways to grow, learn and find networks like the American Express Leadership Academy to help me learn how to be a better leader and person.</p>
<p>I’m currently reading <a href="https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/">a</a><u><a href="https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/"> good book on leadership</a></u> and it's a powerful reminder to how the infinite mindset is the key to being resilient. During this time, many of my colleagues are reaching out to ask for ideas around what they can do, so I remind them that it's important to pause and process before reacting in fear. Go through the priority matrix exercise (using the quadrant below) and think about where to begin.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="Priorities matrix" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Wesner%20graphic.png" style="width: 350px; height: 308px; margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>As a leader it's key to build the muscle of resilience, ask yourself, what have you done to lead infinitely and with a mindset of resilience?</p>
<p><strong>Q: How do you encourage others to stay positive? It’s hard to stop the negativity or fear driven by consuming news and information. </strong></p>
<p><img alt="Wesner standing" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Wesner%20Pierre2.PNG" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: right; width: 230px; height: 115px;" />It’s natural to have moments. This is uncharted territory for us and there is a lot of information flowing, some of which is inaccurate, adding to the already uncertain nature of things. The vacuum of clear governmental leadership makes it even harder.</p>
<p>I make the effort to stay happy by being a student of happiness, learning and rediscovering the things that make me happy while finding time to unplug. During the 2015 American Express Leadership Academy, a speaker shared the idea of having a “Happy List” - a list of things that make you happy. Taking that advice, I have a “Happy List,” and I am conscious to return to that list and make the effort to spend time doing the things that make me happy. I play the piano, read, exercise and talk to friends that inspire me to be positive.</p>
<p>Most importantly, having a network and learning opportunities is important to provide the fuel to carry on. I believe when feeling unmoored by crisis and uncertainty, it is important to find your center - your “Why.” Reconnect to the reason you do what you do, realign yourself to your organization's cause and greater purpose, reconnect to your passion and find a way through. You can revisit your happy list, it helps so much. This is the advice I share with others around how they can stay grounded in the midst of so much change.</p>
<p><strong>Q: This event will surely change all our lives. What are things you hope we learn from this event in the long term? Anything we could get better at or that perhaps needs changing?</strong></p>
<p>I hope we become more resilient to existential threats, because whatever the future holds is unknown and whenever the next big challenge comes, it may also be out of our control.</p>
<p>So the critical question is: What can we do now to be better prepared for the eventual? Is your team ready to work remotely for a few months? Are we able to serve our programs remotely or in a different way altogether, if we can’t connect with them in person for large periods of time? We need to have several contingency plans and have more operational planning for all scenarios. Today, teams who have already created systems for remote working are a lot more prepared than those who have never even leveraged tools to connect virtually. It is incumbent upon nonprofit leaders to embrace technology and be more tech savvy.</p>
<p>I also hope this time allows organizations to focus on their mission. For example, if your “Why” is clear, then even if your “How” changes, you can still find a way to serve your stakeholders and communities by focusing on your overall purpose.This focus will also help shape how you invest in certain resources as part of your ongoing journey toward your mission.</p>
<p>_______</p>
<p><em><strong>About Wesner Pierre</strong></em></p>
<p><strong><img alt="Wesner headshot" src="/sites/default/files/pictures/Wesner_Pierre%2C%20Headshot.jpg" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: left; width: 135px; height: 143px;" /></strong></p>
<p>Wesner Pierre is a positive change maker, having worked in the social purpose sector for over 10 years, the impact he has had on youth, families and community is undeniable. A former Vice President at CAMBA Inc., and a new executive team member with the Harlem Children’s Zone, Wesner is excited to bring his passion, creativity and innovation to bear at HCZ. As a native New Yorker who grew up in the underprivileged inner-city community of South Jamaica Queens, Wesner began his successful career by working in and giving back to that very same community.</p>
<p>Wesner started his work in education and youth development as a Beacon Community Center director. While at CAMBA, Wesner demonstrated his passion, innovation, and unwavering commitment to youth, families and community development. He was able to grow the community center program reach from 3,100 youth and families served to over 13,500 served annually. Through Wesner’s work he was able to increase the impact from 3 centers to 16 centers, with over 40 program contracts – including a pivotal anti-gun violence initiative in one of NYC’s most distressed neighborhoods – Brownsville Brooklyn. Now at HCZ, Wesner oversees all the organizations pipeline programs including: Social Services, Family and Support Services, Parent, Community and Health Programs, After-School and Higher Education and Career Support.</p>
<p>Wesner is a former adjunct professor, author of educational texts, a board member of the CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS) Masters in Youth Studies Program. He is active in the ongoing work of leadership development and is an alumnus of the American Express Leadership Academy, 2015; member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, 2017; PASEsetter, 2017; American Express Global Alumni of the year nominee, 2019; an Aspen Fellow, 2019 and was published in Forbes twice in January 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the City College and a Master of Arts degree from Queens College of The City University of New York.</p>
<ul>
<li>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc2j-DPrJI4&amp;t=8s"><u>Wesner’s LeaderStories profile video</u></a> (90-seconds of story and delight!)</li>
<li>Connect with Wesner Pierre on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesner-pierre-2a982230/">LinkedIn</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<p><em>This article is part of our Insights for Uncertain Times series, featuring reflections and solutions from global leaders adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. <a href="https://leaderstories.org/blog-categories/covid-19-series"><u>Learn more</u></a>.</em></p>
<p> </p>
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</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-kang-and-caitlin-johnson-eds">Monica Kang and Caitlin Johnson, eds.</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog-categories/insights-ideas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Insights &amp; Ideas</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_10">
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</span></li></ul>Thu, 02 Apr 2020 18:08:11 +0000ashley1913 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights3#comments"Remember What You Already Know": An Interview with Alison Wagner https://leaderstories.org/leader-insights2
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/alisonwagnerpodium.png?itok=vhkAI7sJ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/alisonwagnerpodium.png?itok=vhkAI7sJ" width="300" height="214" alt="" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>We spoke with Alison Wagner, Director of Volunteer Services and Complementary Therapies with the Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice, known as the North Star Care Community and one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit hospices in the United States. Her work has been, in a word, overwhelming since the start of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p align="center">____</p>
<p><strong>As a nonprofit hospice</strong>, our mission is to serve those who need and seek our care regardless of diagnosis or ability to pay. In the current United States context, that’s very different than how other organizations operate. We take high-cost-of-care patients and patients with very complex needs, including pediatric patients and those with multiple diagnoses.</p>
<p>We’re learning from what we’ve seen in other places in the world that have encountered epidemics. One of the elements we’re watching is that in a crisis, we run the risk of not serving people at end of life in a way that dignifies the individual and recognizes the grief and loss their family and friends experience. We are focusing on our core value of serving people, even when the world is experiencing a crisis.</p>
<p><strong>What are some of the early lessons you’re learning in your work?</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Focus on the facts: </em></strong>We don’t know what this is going to look like. The best thing to do in these types of situations is to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Every state in the U.S. also has state and community health entities, and surveillance reports that give updates on where the spread is. Turning to credible sources of data is very important. It’s important to keep circling back to the critical sources of information and try to reject some of the fear out there. The fear doesn’t help any of us respond to the people who need us. It also creates a lot of stress in our bodies. We need to all be keeping one another healthy.</p>
<p><strong><em>Slowing down our communications: </em></strong>I’m part of a coronavirus taskforce at work, interacting with members from across the country. We all began to notice that as leaders, we want to be proactive, decisive, clear in our communication. All of these are good things but in a time in which the situation is moving so fast, it is imperative that we take a breath and work on calm and consistent messaging.</p>
<p><img alt="Alison Wagner standing" src="/sites/default/files/Alison%20Wagner%20standing.PNG" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: left; width: 130px; height: 172px;" />In our leadership meetings, we’ve got a lot of folks who are fast problem-solvers—that’s partly why we’re in leadership—but it’s been very helpful to have a couple of voices around the table who have said, “Before we go down this road, let’s rethink this from another perspective or with the addition of a different variable.” Now is the time to listen, breathe, and rely on different perspectives.</p>
<p>I have 12 direct reports, and 21 staff members and more than 560 volunteers who report up to me. So for me, when I’m thinking about messaging, I’m thinking about several things. Talking to people one-on-one is really important because it lets me to hear what’s going on in their voice, how they’re expressing themselves. I try to communicate via email and text, video chat. I work to meet them where they are in terms of how they communicate. Each of us is processing emotion, so we need to think and breathe before we act. </p>
<p>That’s at work; It’s also true in our communities. I am sure I’m not unique: I have a family chat, and one of my family members sent an email with a picture of what to do to protect from the virus. It wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t right on or useful, either. I had to respond and say, let’s go back to the credible sources of information and not let fear drive our decisions, let’s do the things we know keep us healthy as a family: turn off the news, turn off our phones, take a break.</p>
<p><strong><em>Clear public communications: </em></strong>Another thing I’m thinking about as a leader is how we handle public communications. Most of us got into this work we’re doing—serving our clients and constituents—because we are purpose-driven leaders. We want to express our concern to and for our clients and the communities we serve. That’s important, but we’re finding that emotionally based can complicate things.</p>
<p>Compassion is useful, obviously, but if you just send out a “we care” message without a directive, I think it actually frustrates people and can create anxiety. We’re keeping our communications compassionate but with clear directives. People want to hear your voice, and hear what you’re doing or need them to do—in ways that are connected to the mission and what’s going on.</p>
<blockquote><p>"It’s also important to remember the positive, effective things we are doing that we already have in place."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong><em>Remember your strengths: </em></strong>It’s also important to remember the positive, effective things we are doing that we already have in place. As this all started, I spoke with my staff who are on the front lines talking directly to our volunteers across the state, and I reminded them that they are already very good and skillful at talking with people and offering a positive attitude and creating a sense of comfort.</p>
<p>It helps to reiterate that we already know how to do some of the things that will work to get us through. We know how to communicate with one another. Let’s try to act from there, instead of a place of reactionary fear and emotion.</p>
<p><strong>How are you taking time to learn and reflect? </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Document and reflect, even in crisis mode: </em></strong>I recently heard a story on NPR about a regional manager for Home Depot who works in the southeastern U.S. He has a personal notebook which captures lessons from every single hurricane that’s hit the southern US, because he’s the one who sends supplies to the stores in the region after a storm. He has learned from every single storm, and now knows he needs to redirect certain supplies to where they’re most needed.</p>
<p>When I heard that, I thought, “That’s great, why aren’t we doing that?”</p>
<p>We go through many high-intensity situations as leaders, where we feel so busy that sometimes we don’t take the time to breathe or eat, let alone reflect. But that reflection is important. Build time for that at the end of each day or after you close out a particular crisis: write some notes down about you did, how you communicated, the questions you asked. Even in this situation, many of us have lessons from events in our past that we can rely on to get through this situation. Taking time to document our reflections is important.</p>
<p><strong><em>Nurture new ways to bond with community: </em></strong>I have had an informal “Accountability Partner,” named Melinda, for about a year—we volunteered to support each other in carving out leadership development time and time to work on our mindsets and behaviors, since I don’t have a lot of resources for formal professional development.</p>
<p><strong><em>Win pages: </em></strong>One specific thing Melinda encouraged me to do in a different situation that nearly overwhelmed me, was to write what she called a “Win Page” after the crisis had passed. She urged me to document what I did, how I got myself through the situation, and what self-care steps enabled me to make good decisions.</p>
<p><strong><em>Learning happens everywhere, at every age: </em></strong>I have worked for nonprofits my whole career so I have never really had a budget for coaches or formal leadership development supports. Finding an Accountability Partner happened organically. Most of my learning comes from reading books and listening to podcasts.</p>
<p><strong><em>Schedule breathing—really: </em></strong>As an alum of the American Express Leadership Academy, I’ve noticed that many of us have a good level of self-awareness that’s helps with our leadership, especially in times like this. I’ve learned that I have to tell myself—and even put it on my calendar—to take breaths and pause.</p>
<p>For example, I had a call this morning that I knew was going to be challenging and would cause a flurry of activity. So I actually added an item to my calendar to “take three breaths” before I jumped back into my email and the next thing. I’ve learned I need to be in tune and work on being self-aware.</p>
<p>When I see that some of my behavior starts to feel like stress behavior, I am learning to say, “Woah, slow it down, reconnect, take time to recover” before I jump back into the ring. If I let stress run me, I’m going to mess things up, I’ll miss things, my communications will go out before I’m ready.</p>
<p><strong>How are you supporting a team?</strong></p>
<p>Even while we can’t be around patients, our team is working to stay connected. We’re going to be doing creative brainstorming sessions. I’m trying to be fun and positive in my leadership, trying to pump the team up – we’re going to distinguish ourselves in the field of hospice volunteers and complementary therapists, we’re going to keep them and enact virtual learning and communications.</p>
<p>We’re trying to incorporate some fun and levity in the fact that we may have a lot of time on our hands. Instead of going into hibernation or taking all our vacation days, what ideas can we generate, what funding sources are there? Can we do some research, look through charts, bring together data. Let’s use this downtime to build momentum for when we get back up and running. We all have things that have been on our to-do list or wishlist forever, let’s get them done now. We’re trying to reframe this as an opportunity and a chance to be creative is really important.</p>
<blockquote><p>"We all have things that have been on our to-do list or wishlist forever, let’s get them done now."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong><em>Holding on to hope: </em></strong>We’re just starting to dig into all the “unknown unknowns.” We’re figuring out how to respond better as a business and as a leader to what’s going to come afterwards. We will get through this. It helps to remember that viruses have a lifecycle, this will have an ebb and flow.</p>
<p>It’s okay to start thinking ahead. Thinking ahead can create and promote hope. If we stay in a space where we’re just constantly reacting to the crisis at hand, we’re not having that hope. Carrying hope with us is a self-care measure. Engaging our creativity and planning for the future is important for hope and self care.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img alt="Alison headshot" src="/sites/default/files/Ford%20Headshot_0.jpg" style="margin: 8px 10px; float: left; width: 130px; height: 176px;" /><strong>About Alison Wagner</strong><br />
As Hospice of Michigan (HOM) and Arbor Hospice’s Director of Volunteer Services and Complementary Therapies, Alison is responsible for the activities of 21 staff members and 550 volunteers. Alison is committed to engaging volunteers to utilize their time and talents for their personal growth while benefiting the non-profit hospice mission. Under Alison’s leadership, the Complementary Therapies program, which includes Music Therapy, Massage Therapy and Pet Visits, is expanding. Previous to joining HOM, Alison worked within the non-profit sector in nursing education, economic development and the arts. Throughout her career, she has worked with volunteers, musicians, clinicians, donors, and has extensive event management and program management experience. Alison earned a Masters of Fine Arts from New York University, New York, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, as well as minors in flute and piano from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. She also holds a Certified Nonprofit Professional credential from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.</em><br />
</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-wagner-78b614a/">Connect with Alison on LinkedIn</a></li>
</ul>
<div> </div>
<div><em>This article is part of our Insights for Uncertain Times series, featuring reflections and solutions from global leaders adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. <a href="https://leaderstories.org/blog-categories/covid-19-series"><u>Series home</u></a>.</em></div>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/monica-kang-and-caitlin-johnson-eds">Monica Kang and Caitlin Johnson, eds.</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog-categories/insights-ideas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Insights &amp; Ideas</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_12">
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</span></li></ul>Mon, 23 Mar 2020 22:23:10 +0000ashley1910 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leader-insights2#commentsMeet With Your Finance Committee Nowhttps://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/meet-your-finance-committee-now
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Meet%20with%20your%20finance%20committee%20now%20-%20image.jpg?itok=nQ574-39"><img typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-300x" src="https://leaderstories.org/sites/default/files/styles/300x/public/field/image/Meet%20with%20your%20finance%20committee%20now%20-%20image.jpg?itok=nQ574-39" width="300" height="200" alt="finance" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>I’ll keep this simple, as many of us have a lot on our minds as we experience the world grappling with a public health crisis. Once you have looked out for the safety and well being of your employees by implementing work from home, social distancing, and community hygiene, it is critical that you turn your attention to your organization’s future fiscal health. Putting this off may impact, and potentially prevent, your organization from implementing its mission and providing critical services.</p>
<p><strong>First, we have to look at the financial markets</strong>.</p>
<p>The dual shocks of Covid-19 and an oil price war have roiled global markets. As of mid-March, the S&amp;P 500<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="" id="_ftnref1">[1]</a> has plummeted over 27% since a market high on February 19, 2020. Uncertainty is likely to continue as the dual shocks on the global economy are increasing the probability of recession. Keep this idea of uncertainty in your back pocket, as we will return to it soon.</p>
<p><strong>We just saw this.</strong></p>
<p>Again, with the focus on financial markets, we’ve seen this before and not too long ago. Remember the global financial crisis (GFC), aka the Great Recession, of 2007-2010? Of course you do. It took well into the last decade for most to recover; and, in some cases, organizations and communities never recovered.</p>
<p>For the non-profit sector, the GFC wreaked havoc on donations and budgets. This decline is not anecdotal. According to a study by The Russell Sage Foundation and The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, the GFC reduced total giving by 7% in 2008 and by another 6.2% in 2009.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="" id="_ftnref2">[2]</a> And, despite slight upticks in 2010 and 2011 in giving, they were still well below pre-GFC levels. Additionally, even as wealth and incomes began to recover, there is evidence that uncertainty and changes in the habit of giving carried on well past the end of the recession.<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="" id="_ftnref3">[3]</a></p>
<p>Many non-profits were caught off guard by the GFC’s impact on charitable giving. Unfortunately, many had flat-footed responses and waited until they experienced budget shortfalls before making adjustments. This was especially true among organizations lacking diversified revenue streams.</p>
<p>As a result, many organizations cut back on services, made drastic budget cuts—including to employee benefit programs and staffing—to stay afloat, or outright closed. This was especially true of organizations outside the health and human services sector, where drops in the double digits were not uncommon. I am aware of several environmental non-profits that experienced drops exceeding 20%. This is not surprising, as organizations working to alleviate the impacts of the recession on vulnerable populations saw upticks in funding during the GFC as donors refocused donations. For example, donations to food banks in 40 cities increased by 2.2% from 2007 to 2008, and by nearly 32% from 2008 to 2009.<a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title="" id="_ftnref4">[4]</a></p>
<p><strong>We have to apply lessons learned from the GFC.</strong></p>
<p>First, meet with your board finance committee as soon as possible and begin the conversation. Now is the time to think about a budget reforecast. If you wait until next fiscal year's budget—especially for organizations that budget the second half of the calendar year—you may be too late and be faced with drastic measures.</p>
<p>Second, model out and scenario plan for revenue declines of five-, ten-, and fifteen-percent. Do this with your senior leadership team and your board finance committee. To help facilitate this discussion, have your CFO run budgets from 2006-2012 and see how your revenue fluctuated. This will not give you exact answers, but it may give you a rough idea of what to expect. Concurrently, have your development team dig into your donor database and run reports on giving during those same periods by donor levels. They can also pick individual donors across giving segments that gave throughout the period and see how their behavior changed. Again, this is not an exact science but may give you some insight of what to expect. If your organization was newly formed after the GFC or does not have good data, then peer data and the model/scenario planning may be your best bet to get a ballpark idea.</p>
<p>Third, even if we see a v-shaped recovery<a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title="" id="_ftnref5">[5]</a>, we have to expect that the uncertainty (remove from hip pocket) we are all feeling right now will carry forward to year-end appeals revenues, giving decisions, and potentially beyond.</p>
<p>Finally, don’t panic. Our sector is resilient. We’ve been through this before. This is a time to make informed and collaborative decisions. But start that process now, not when it is too late.</p>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<p class="rteindent1"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title="" id="_ftn1">[1]</a> The S&amp;P 500 is a stock market index that measures stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the U.S. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it to be one of the best representations of the U.S. stock market</p>
<div id="ftn2">
<p class="rteindent1"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title="" id="_ftn2">[2]</a> Reich, Rob &amp; Wimer, Christopher. 2012. <em>Charitable Giving and the Great Recession</em>. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality.</p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<p class="rteindent1"><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title="" id="_ftn3">[3]</a> Jonathan Meer, David H. Miller, and Elisa Wulfsberg. December 2016. <em>The Great Recession and Charitable Giving</em>, Working Paper 22902, Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.</p>
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<div id="ftn4">
<p class="rteindent1"><a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title="" id="_ftn4">[4]</a> Reich, Rob &amp; Wimer, Christopher. 2012. <em>Charitable Giving and the Great Recession</em>. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality.</p>
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<div id="ftn5">
<p class="rteindent1"><a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title="" id="_ftn5">[5]</a> In a V-shaped recession, the economy suffers a sharp but brief period of economic decline with a clearly defined trough, followed by a strong recovery.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><strong>Read More</strong></h2>
<p><em>This article is part of our Insights for Uncertain Times series, looking at how "for purpose" leaders are responding to the impacts of Covid-19. </em></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/insights-days-uncertainty">Insights for Uncertain Times: Series Overview</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-inline clearfix view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/content/seth-cothrun-0">Seth Cothrun</a></div></div></section><div class="field field-name-field-blog-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/blog-categories/covid-19-series" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Covid-19 Series</a></li></ul></div><span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_target addtoany_list" id="da2a_14">
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</span></li></ul>Fri, 20 Mar 2020 16:54:38 +0000ashley1908 at https://leaderstories.orghttps://leaderstories.org/leadernotes-blog/meet-your-finance-committee-now#comments